CHAP, v.] WE CATCH SOME BUSHMEN. 155 



March 2Uh. — We started very early from our agree- 

 able resting-place, and followed the Otjii-onjuba : it 

 soon disappeared in its sandy bed ; and after three 

 hours the country had become so arid, that I out- 

 spanned, to let the oxen take a good drink at the last 

 pool of water we could see. The rain now came down 

 in such deluges that the harness, of undressed leather, 

 became too soppy to handle, and the men could not 

 hold the oxen in the reins when they had caught them ; 

 so we stopped there all night. 



March SOth. — AVe again started early, and strayed a 

 great deal ; for we had no certain point to aim for, and 

 oui* chief object was endeavouring to avoid the thorns. 

 The guides were sulky, and could not, or would not, tell 

 us anything. We pulled on for many hours with thick 

 thorn-bushes about us, and not a drop of water to be seen, 

 as the sandy soil had sucked up the rain : however, the 

 oxen went well. Towards evening we turned down a 

 long vista, and the waggon was moving noiselessly 

 over the soft ground, when we saw five or six Bush- 

 men and women squatted in a row on the ground, with 

 their backs towards us, crowing pig-nuts. They did 

 not see us till we were close upon them. We caught a 

 man and woman, and made them show us the water. 

 A little man, who got away from us, was very funny, 

 and stuck to liis.wife manfully. He danced about her 

 with a bow and arrow, making offers to shoot at us, 

 and was in a wonderfully excited state of mind. We 

 did not approve of the arrow, and let liim and his wife 

 go their ways. These people were thorough Nama- 

 quas in feature, but darker in colour, exactly like the 



